SIDNEY — Andy Brautigam was elected president of the Fairlawn Local School District Board of Education during the organizational meeting Jan. 14.
Bob Gold was elected vice president. Gold was also elected legislative liaison, athletic council liaison and to Small School District Advisory Network.
Rita Gilfillen was elected student achievement liaison.
Mike Henman was chosen to be the strategic planning liaison. Hew as also elected alumni liaison.
Gilfillen and Henman were elected to the Board of Education Scholarship Committee.
In anticipation of Superintendent Steve’s Mascho’s retirement on Feb. 28, the board authorized the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center to conduct a superintendent search.
The board also appointed Principal Jo DeMotte to serve as interim superintendent until a replacement is hired.
In other business, the board:
• Heard a report from Kelty Inman and Lindsey Riethman, guidance counselors, about the district’s counseling program.
• Heard from Liz Maxson, English teacher, who gave a presentation about a professional leave request to attend “Amizade ‘The Navajo Nation’.”
• Heard highlights on the local report card results from Principals Jo DeMotte and Rebekka Egbert.
• Set the board meetings for the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Room 122 at Fairlawn Local Schools.
• Adopted board policy dealing with interdistrict open enrollment.
• Approved standing authorizations for 2016, which included salary for each board member, $80 per meeting they attend, not to exceed 13 meetings in the year; waiving of the reading of the minutes; requesting tax advances from the county auditor; authorize the investments of funds; employment of temporary personnel; appoint the superintendent as purchasing agent for the district; authorize the treasurer to pay bills; authorize the superintendent and treasurer to attend meetings/conferences in the interest of the district; and to renew membership in the Ohio School Boards Association.
• Authorize participation in the OSBA Legal Assistance Fund at a rate of $250.
• Accept $100 donations each from board members Tony Bensman, Brautigam, Gilfillen and Gold to the school; $200 donation from B. Rogers & Sons for the Seth Rogers Scholarship Fund.
• Accept the resignation of Jolynn Colebaugh as senior high student council adviser.
• Award a one-year contract to Colebaugh and Amber Wehrkamp as senior high school student council advisers. Each will receive $802.50.
• Authorized the treasurer to pay a $400 bonus to Aaron Cox, Nathan Sailor, Upper Valley Career Center employee, and Tara Berning, Upper Valley Career Center employee.
• Authorized the treasurer to pay a bonus of 2 percent of his/her base pay to Steve Mascho, Jo Anna DeMotte, Rebekka Egbert and Keith Doseck.
• Approved a professional leave for Liz Maxson from Oct. 11-20 to participate in the Amizade program about the Navajo Nation.
• Accepted the resignation of Danielle Monnier as co-head softball coach.
• Accepted the resignation of Kevin Stapleton as co-head softball coach.
• Awarded a one-year contract to Stapleton as head softball coach for the 2015-16 school year. He will be paid $3,210.
• Approved a resolution for the FFA to oversee the farming of the new 84 acres the district recently purchased.
All profits from the activity will go to the FFA to promote FFA projects. The FFA will pay the district $150 per tillable acre for the calendar year 2016.
• Awarded Tyler Matthews a one-year contract as assistant softball coach at $1,605.
• Authorized the issuance of bonds not to exceed $4,445,000 for the purpose of advance refunding a portion of school facilities construction and improvement bonds dated March 27, 2007.
The board’s next meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 11, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 122 at Fairlawn Local Schools.
